Dream sequence

A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many films to shed light on the psychical process of the dreaming character. For instance in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the purpose of Pee Wee's dreams is to inform the audience of his anxieties and fears after losing his bike. Other times major action takes place in dreams, allowing the filmmaker to explore infinite possibilities, as Michel Gondry demonstrates in The Science of Sleep.

Audio or visual elements, such as distinctive music or coloration, are frequently used to signify the beginning and end of a dream sequence in film. It has also become commonplace to distinguish a dream sequence from the rest of the film by showing a shot of a person in bed sleeping or about to go to sleep. Other films show a dream sequence followed by a character waking up in their own bed, such as the dream sequence George Gershwin composed for his film score to Delicious. Certain Surrealist and neo-Surrealist directors such as Luis Buñuel and David Lynch refuse to distinguish between waking life and dreams in many of their films, mixing the two states as they please.^[1]

The dream sequence that Atossa narrates near the beginning of Aeschylus' Athenian tragedy The Persians (472 BCE) may be the first in the history of European theatre.^[2]

Similar to a dream sequence is a plot device in which an entire story has been revealed to be a dream. As opposed to a segment of an otherwise real scenario, in these cases it is revealed that everything depicted was unreal. Often times this is used to explain away inexplicable events. Because it has been done, in many occasions, to resolve a storyline that seemed out of place or unexpected, it is often considered weak storytelling; and further, in-jokes are often made in writing (particularly television scripts) that refer to the disappointment a viewer might feel in finding out everything they've watched was a dream. For example, the entire sequence of the Family Guy episodes 'Stewie Kills Lois' and 'Lois Kills Stewie' are revealed to have taken place within a virtual reality simulation, upon which a character asks whether a potential viewer could be angry that they've effectively watched a dream sequence. The TV show Dallas revealed that an entire season of the program was a dream.

Films using dream sequences

Other examples in pop cultural media

Most of the jokes of every episode of the Fox animated sitcom Family Guy are short out-of-story dream (or thought) sequences.
In several episodes of House, much of the episode takes place inside of House's fantasies or hallucinations. These include the 21st episode of the first season 'Three Stories', final episode of the second season 'No Reason' and the two last episodes of the fourth season 'House's Head' 'Wilson's Heart'.
DreamSequence's music video for Child of Glass turns out to be a crazy dream.
That's So Raven episode "Don't Have a Cow" is, except for a few brief moments, Raven's vision.
Ed, Edd n Eddy episode "Rock-a-Bye-Ed" is Jonny's nightmare.
The 8th season of Dallas is written off entirely as a dream.
Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett deals a lot about dreams, including one instance when the main character Tiffany Aching remarks on how the cliché ending of "she woke up and it was all a dream" is the worst ending for any story.
The Gorillaz music video for "Dare" turns out to be bassist Murdoc's crazy dream.
On the sixth season of Married... with Children, an episode entitled "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick" mirrored Dallas' elimination of storylines via a dream. In real life, Katey Sagal (Peg Bundy) had gotten pregnant and it was written into the series. Ms. Sagal later had a miscarriage, and to write all of the baby events out of the show, that entire season up to that point was made a dream by Al Bundy.
The CD Nothing Lasts...But Nothing Is Lost by psychadelic trance artist Shpongle, is said to have 20 tracks divided up into eight equal parts which represent each stage of the dream sequence.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Restless" comprised primarily of the four main characters' dreams. The writers used this episode heavily as a means of multi-layered foreshadowing of elements to be introduced in the series, such as the arrival of Dawn and the deterioration and eventual death of Buffy's mom.
Charmed episode "The Jung and the Restless" had all three of the sisters induced in slumber by Billie and almost all of the episode is their common dream where everything they go through has a meaning.
That '70s Show is known for featuring in almost every episode at least one wacky dream sequence by one of the main characters. These sequences often spoof the seventies' TV shows, movies that were out at that time, or even fairy tales.
Almost all of the House, M.D. episode "No Reason" was a hallucination or dream of the lead character, Gregory House after he was shot at the beginning of the episode. Within the dream, House realises that he is imagining some of the events, but like the audience, he is unaware to what extent until the end of the episode.
The music video for the Foo Fighters song "Everlong" fades in and out of a man (portrayed as Dave Grohl)'s various dreams.
An episode of Darkwing Duck partly takes place in a dream. A local witch, and Darkwing's crush, has infiltrated dreams to make people give away their money. The witch and Darkwing later fight the true villain in Darkwing's dream.
CW's Supernatural season three episode "Dream a little dream of me" deals with dreams
Season five of Smallville has an episode "Lexmas" that is half a dream sequence
Author Caitlín R. Kiernan is particularly noted for making frequent use of dream sequences in her novels and short fiction, often integrating them seamlessly with the waking narrative.
The South Park episode "City on the Edge of Forever" (also known as "Flashbacks") is revealed at the end to be a dream of Cartman's, which is revealed to be a dream of Stan's.
The Bones episode The End in the Beginning, is revealed to be just a dream and part of "Dr. Temperance Brennan"'s new book.

Notes

^ “Surrealism” and the Omnipotence of Cinema
^ Taxidou (2004, 99).

References

Taxidou, Olga. 2004. Tragedy, Modernity and Mourning. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP. ISBN 0748619879.

Films using dream sequences

Other examples in pop cultural media

Notes

References

See also